January 8, 2020
Are you a hill climber? Or are you a flat lander?
They both have their benefits!
But this time of year I am all about the hills!
Because I don’t care how flat they SAY your race is. There will be a hill.
You have two choices. Do some hill work and be prepared…..or not. You can shuffle/walk/crawl your way to the top…or you can run up without all the drama and struggle.
Does that sound harsh? Well…maybe. But I want to see you enjoy and execute a good race.
So how does one go from shuffling up a hill to running it with good form? Here are a couple of things to think about the next time you are on a hilly run.
1. Run tall. I know…you think you should have a forward lean. But you are on an uphill, so by running “tall” you will already be leaning forward slightly. When you run tall, you will be in a better anatomical position to extend your leg behind you, recruiting your gluteus and calves to propel you up the hill.
2. Keep your gaze forward. One of the reasons many of us don’t like hills is because it is more challenging for our cardiovascular system. We are forced to a walk because we “can’t breathe”. Dropping your head and running with poor posture limits the amount of oxygen you take it. When your muscles don’t get the oxygen they need, they fatigue. Meaning you don’t have the energy to keep running. So look about 20-30 meters in front of you and focus on a steady breath.
3. Keep your stride rate up. Just like breathing gets oxygen to our muscles and keeps them from fatiguing, the movement of our legs pumps blood to our leg muscles, which carries oxygen. When we slow down our stride, the blood pumps slower, brining less oxygen. This results in your legs feeling so heavy that you “have to walk”. Your stride will naturally shorten as you run up hill, but maintaining your turnover will keep your help you stay light on your feet and minimize the shuffle.
The truth is…hills are hard. And your pace is going to slow down. Put your focus on evening out your effort. The goal is to feel like you are only working SIGHTLY harder on the uphills, and while staying controlled, allowing the down hills to work in your advantage. But that’s a topic for another day.
Now go find some hills and GET AFTER IT!
–Coach Chris
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